Ready Now
World War II
During World War II, a field hospital could perform approximately eighty
operations a day, and over 85 percent of those soldiers
operated on in field hospitals survived. When postoperative
patients grew strong enough, they were transported by
ambulance to evacuation hospitals. Evacuation hospitals had 53 nurses each and could
accommodate up to 750 patients. Doctors operated
on patients sent from field hospitals. Patients with
postoperative stomach wounds were routinely kept in
an evacuation hospital ten days before they were sent
on, and those with chest wounds were usually kept at
least five days before they were evacuated. Critically
wounded patients needing specialized treatment were
air evacuated to station and general hospitals. Stable
patients requiring a long recuperation were sent
on via hospital ship. Station and general hospitals advanced more slowly
than field and evacuation hospitals and were usually
housed in semipermanent locations.
Reflections
Patton's Sicilian campaign was marred by the infamous "slapping incidents." While
visiting the 15th Evacuation Hospital on Aug.
3, 1943, the general confronted an American soldier, Private Charles H. Kuhl, resting on a box of supplies. Patton
asked him what his problem was. "I guess I
just can't take it," the soldier replied. Enraged, Patton slapped the enlisted
man's face with his gloves, and angrily ordered him
back into combat at once. Army medic's later found the soldier was suffering from
dysentery and malaria.
A week later, on August 10th, Patton confronted another American soldier, Private Paul G. Bennett, at the 93rd Evacuation
Hospital and
asked him the same question.
"It's my nerves. I can't stand the shelling anymore," the soldier said. Once
again, Patton lost his temper. He slapped the man
several times, cursed at him, called him a coward and reached for his
ivory-handled revolvers. Within a week a detailed report of the incident had worked its way from the hospital through channels to
Eisenhower's headquarters in Algiers. Eisenhower, ordered Patton to apologize personally to the
soldier, the hospital staff, the other patients, and every unit in his 7th Army command.
Patton tried to explain his actions in a
letter to Eisenhower so he could avoid public
humiliation, but Ike made it clear who was in charge. Eventually, the incident was reported on the radio, by Drew Pearson,
in the United States. Pearson's "scoop" caused a furor with his allegations that the Army, in general, and Eisenhower, in
particular, had made an attempt to "cover-up" the whole story.
Read More About "The Slapping Incidents"
Vietnam
Operation Desert Shield / Storm
A GULF WAR VET NEEDS HELP
Some members of the 93rd Evacuation Hospital, taken during WW2!
Photograph Source: Courtesy of Fred Irvin - See Navigation Menu below for more!
The public was outraged, and even some members of Congress called for Patton's dismissal.
Patton made his "apologies", as he had been ordered to do, and waited for his next assignment.
1965 - 1971
An Overview Of The Hospital Area, Long Binh, Vietnam !
Photograph Source: 93rd Evacuation Hospital Yearbook, 1971
An Overview Of The Hospital Area, Rafha, Saudi Arabia !
Photograph Source: Courtesy of Richard W. Cole, CPT, ANC, 93rd Evac, Gulf War
Can anyone provide us with some detailed information about this period?
November 11, 1999 - Regarding 93rd Evac Veteran Larry Litt:
